365 Days
by shannyforever
Summary: They aren't getting any younger! With this in mind, Jane has a proposition for Maura. But will this proposition open up a myriad of emotions they never anticipated? Chapter 6now up!
1. Chapter 1

A/N: I'm back. I've noticed that new stories are coming in dribs and drabs, so I thought I'd add to the mix. Miss me? :-)

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Sunday family dinner had been planned and executed in much the same manner that every other Sunday family dinner had. Jane arrived a short time before her brothers to the smell of her mother's cooking in Maura's kitchen. Maura was fussing about setting the table and ensuring the throw rug and pillows on her couch were carefully arranged, despite the fact that the moment Tommy and Frankie arrived they would be out of place.

Jane attempted to pick at the food before it was served, only to be swatted away with the end of a dish cloth with a stern look from her mother, prompting her to go and make herself comfortable on the couch. Maura had soon joined her with a glass of wine and a bottle of beer for Jane, leading to a discussion about something mundane about work or the latest baseball game stats.

The arrival of Tommy and Frankie turned the volume of noise in the house up a notch as they bantered and carried on like 12 year olds. It wasn't long before dinner was served and the family took their seats at the table to enjoy a meal together; Jane and Maura, as always, sitting side by side.

But there was something different in the air that night. Something spurred on by a conversation between Jane and Maura the previous night.

Flashback: Saturday night

"I can't believe I let you talk me into buying another dress," Jane sighed as she entered Maura's house behind her with a bag in each hand, and kicked the front door shut behind her. "I already have several dresses, Maura, and I hardly wear them."

"There's nothing wrong with having options," Maura replied as she placed her bag down and made her way to the fridge. "Wine?"

"What other options do I have?" Jane replied sarcastically with a smirk as she unceremoniously placed her shopping bags by the couch before sauntering over to Maura.

"I have water, Organic Cranberry Juice, Tea…"

"Ok, ok," Jane conceded, walking up behind Maura and peering over her to look in the fridge. "After today, I could do with a beer."

Maura picked out a beer for Jane and turned to face her. "No surprises there," she mocked with a smile before she grabbed a bottle opener and passed them both to Jane.

With drinks in hand, they made a beeline for the couch, Jane's exhaustion from a day of shopping evident in the way she slumped into the couch with a loud sigh.

"Oh, how did your date go with Mr. Fancy Pants Thursday night?" Jane asked as they sat at either end of the couch.

Maura sent a sideways glance at Jane, silently admonishing her for the nick name with which she had branded her date. "As it turns out, Mr. 'fancy pants'," Maura began, accentuating the new nick name with another pointed look at Jane, "is no different from the many other men I've been on dates with." She took a sip of her wine.

Jane's expression morphed into a sympathetic smile as she reached over to place a comforting hand on Maura's shoulder. She saw the sadness behind Maura's indifference and for the life of her couldn't figure out why these men couldn't see what a catch Maura was. She really was the whole package, and Jane felt blessed to have her in her life in any capacity.

"So… He had some kind of genetic deficiency?" Jane asked in mock seriousness.

Maura chuckled slightly before shaking her head at Jane. "Yes. Women like to call it 'thinking with the wrong head'."

"Maura!" Jane laughed.

"Sorry," she replied with another chuckle. "But it's true. Men rarely ever want anything more than one thing from me, and honestly it is getting a little frustrating."

"Well, you can hardly blame the guy," Jane responded absently as she searched for the remote control.

Maura looked at Jane with confusion. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, not with anger but with genuine confusion.

Jane turned to Maura and noticed the confusion, and a glimmer of hurt, in her eyes. "No, Maura, I just mean… Well, you're a beautiful woman so it's only feasible that a man would be attracted to you," Jane began as she sat back to focus again on the conversation, controller forgotten. "That is not to say that you don't have many other wonderful qualities. You're the full package Maura, and if Mr. Fancy Pants only wants the first layer, well… then he's going to miss out."

Maura looked at Jane with a smile, her hand instinctively moving over her heart. "Oh, Jane. You're very sweet."

"Don't tell anyone," Jane replied with a nudge to Maura's shoulder and a mock glare.

"I think they already know," Maura stage whispered with a wink.

"Who told?!" Jane exclaimed in mock horror before she smiled at Maura and took a sip of her beer.

"Why couldn't you be a man," Maura sighed as she sipped at her wine. "It would certainly make things easier."

"Exactly how does my being a woman make YOUR love life harder?" Jane asked, her eyebrows finding their way up into her hairline.

Maura smiled at Jane, realising how odd this conversation had become. "Ok, that came out wrong," she replied with a giggle. "I just mean that it's hard to find time for a relationship between work and family and social obligations… It would easier if…" Maura paused, knitting her eyebrows in confusion.

Jane looked at Maura, trying to figure her out. "It would be easier if you could have a relationship with someone who already takes up space in your life?" Jane asked.

"Yes, exactly," Maura replied, turning to face Jane more fully.

"You make time," Jane offered with a shrug. "Like you make time for me."

"You're family, Jane," Maura responded as she reached out to place her hand on Jane's shoulder. "And then there's the obstacle of finding a man that I am able to spend time with, and who makes time for me without just wanting one thing, but... who doesn't also make time to kill people," she finished, her voice littered with mock annoyance.

"Wow, you really are asking for a lot there," Jane couldn't help but laugh as she watched Maura continue on with her pity party.

"You know, Maura," Jane began as she placed her beer on the coffee table, "in this day and age, it is widely accepted for two women to share their lives together."

"I'm well aware of this fact, Jane," Maura responded before she placed her glass beside Jane's beer and sat back to look at Jane once again.

"So, technically speaking, I don't have to be a man," Jane offered with an exaggerated wink.

Maura let out a short laugh in response. "And if we were into women that would be the most obvious solution," Maura replied with a poke to Janes bicep.

They smiled at each other as they realised how absurd the conversation was.

"You would be the guy, remember?" Maura said as she started to laugh.

"Yes," Jane replied with disdain, "because apparently I'm bossy!"

"You are!" Maura insisted.

"Excuse me, but you are the bossy one," Jane exclaimed. "With your… 'Eat your greens, Jane. Don't drink so much coffee, Jane. Don't talk to your mother like that, Jane.' Come on!" Jane teased, causing Maura's face to morph into a look of mock horror.

"That's not bossy, that's called caring," Maura responded pointedly.

"Well, I'm not your type, so there's no point in having this conversation anyway," Jane responded with her hands flailing dramatically in the air as she got up from the couch to get another beer.

Maura continued to laugh as she watched Jane make her way to the fridge.

End Flashback: Sunday Dinner

That was the end of the conversation that night, but in the 24 hours that passed, it was a conversation that stayed in the forefront of both Jane and Maura's mind.

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A/N: Thank you for reading. More to come soon. Feedback welcomed :-)


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: thank you for the reviews :-)

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After Jane and Maura had bid their farewells to Tommy and Frankie, Maura turned to glance at Angela who was clearing the last of dishes from the dining table.

"Are you staying?" she asked Jane, following her through to the kitchen.

"Yea, I wanted to talk to you about our conversation last night," Jane replied as she fished another beer from the fridge. She turned to face Maura who was looking at her, eyebrows raised, waiting for Jane to elaborate.

"I have a proposal for you," Jane offered, wiggling her eyebrows mischievously before she took a sip of her beer.

"A proposal?" Maura purred as she passed Jane to get to the dishes. "Do you have a ring?" she finished with a giggle as she started filling the sink.

"A ring?" Angela asked with delight as she brought the last of the dishes to the kitchen. "Janie, you have a ring?"

"No, Ma," Jane laughed as she picked up the dish towel, gently flicking Maura in mock anger before she started drying. "Maura was trying to be funny."

"Well, I don't think marriage is anything to joke about," Angela scoffed before she dried her hands and kissed both women on the cheek. "You girls make sure you don't stay up all night on the couch talking and giggling like school girls until the early hours of the morning," Angela remarked with a knowing look at both of them before she headed for the door.

Jane and Maura exchanged glances, which quickly turned into fits of giggles.

"And neither of you are getting any younger, you know," Angela called out, looking back as she held the door open to leave. "Any proposal is worth considering," she finished before she closed the door behind her.

Jane and Maura sobered up quickly with Angela's departing statement and continued to wash and dry the dishes in comfortable silence. The ease with which they fell into domesticity was not lost on either of them. They cleaned the kitchen with seemingly synchronised movements, the occasional smile flittering backward and forward between them.

When Maura had finished she stood folding the dish towel absently as she watched Jane. She wondered what proposal Jane had for her. She wondered if Jane had been having similar thoughts to her own over the past 24 hours. Maura had spent the day picking apart her friendship with Jane and before long had realised that the comment she absently made about how much easier it would be if Jane were a man wasn't as ridiculous as they first thought. The friendship she had with Jane was almost everything she wanted in a relationship, except there was no intimacy. She had pondered briefly if that could change before dismissing it as a desperate thought spurred on by a prolonged single status.

Jane turned to throw the last of the rubbish in the bin with a jump shot before throwing her hands up in celebration. "Score!" she exclaimed with an excited jump.

"Perhaps your mother wasn't far off in likening your maturity levels to that of a school girl," Maura laughed as she started pouring herself a wine. "Or Boy," she added as an afterthought.

Jane simply smiled indignantly in response before she picked up her beer and made her way to the couch.

"So," Maura started, as she sat opposite Jane on the couch. "You have a proposal for me?"

"I do," Jane nodded.

"But no ring?" Maura teased.

"No," Jane replied. "Well, not yet, anyway," she finished with a cheeky wink before hiding her teasing smile behind her beer bottle.

"Well now I really am intrigued," Maura responded as she placed her glass down and turned to face Jane more fully. "You know, I actually spent a bit of time today replaying our conversation from last night, and I was surprised to find myself almost thinking that your suggestion of companionship wasn't such a ridiculous idea."

"That's what I was thinking, too," Jane replied enthusiastically, surprised by Maura's admission. "Well, sort of."

"Although, my initial suggestion that you become a man was fairly ridiculous," Maura laughed, Jane joining her a moment later.

"No, Maura. It was not _fairly_ ridiculous," Jane began with a pointed look at Maura. "It was _completely_ ridiculous."

"I concede this point," Maura replied with her hands in the air in mock surrender.

"So," Jane began, placing her drink down. "My proposal."

"Fire on."

"Ok, so… Let's face it, Ma is right. Neither of us are getting any younger," Jane started.

"Well, of course we're not. It is physically impossible, even though there are some products out there claiming to defy the aging process," Maura interrupted, halting when Jane gave her a pointed look. "Sorry. Continue."

"I've been mulling over this today and I realised, in terms of starting a family and settling down, you and I have done a pretty good job of intertwining our lives in almost every way. Besides the obvious," Jane continued, pausing for dramatic effect only for Maura to see this as an opportunity to make further comments.

"The obvious being intimacy, including sex, which is a large part of any successful, intimate relationship," Maura pointed out, earning another look from Jane. After another apologetic smile, a silent 'sorry', and nod of the head for her to go on, Jane continued.

"Why don't we," Jane continued, waving her hand back and forward between them, "be each other's back up plan?"

Maura looked at Jane confused by her proposal. She wasn't sure what the term 'back up plan' meant, but after a few moments she was forming an idea about what she was being offered.

"And by 'back up plan', you mean…"

"Like…" Jane sighed, absently looking around as she tried to figure out another way off wording it.

"I mean, I think I know what you mean, but I don't want to guess," Maura rushed and continued to look expectantly at Jane.

"By 'back up plan', I mean that you and I start a family together," Jane clarified.

Maura nodded, indicating that she was accurate in her assumption of what Jane meant, but she continued to look at Jane as she contemplated the proposal.

"I mean, obviously not right away. And obviously only after we've exhausted all our other options," Jane added.

"Obviously," Maura replied as she picked up her wine and sipped at it delicately. Only, that wasn't obvious to Maura. Maura had assumed that Jane was proposing that they start a family together soon. She was taken aback by her internal reaction to Jane's offer not because it was a bad idea, but because there was a warmth that spread through her heart as she thought about raising a family with Jane.

"We could put a time frame on it," Jane offered eagerly sitting forward. She wondered why she was trying so hard to convince Maura. She wondered why this was so important to her, given that it was only something that occurred to her in the last 24 hours. She also wondered why the thought of raising a family with Maura excited her so much.

"Like in that movie?" Maura asked.

"There's a movie about something like this?" Jane asked, holding in her smile.

"Yes," Maura replied, "The lead characters meet and fall in love, except they both realise their timing is off so they agree to meet at the top of the Empire State Building in 12 months."

"Well, this isn't exactly like that," Jane offered, confused.

"No, there are some discrepancies, like the fact that we already know each other…"

"And the falling in love bit," Jane finished for her.

"And that, yes," Maura finished. "So, you're proposing that, if in 12 months' time we have not found our 'mate'," Maura started, miming the inverted commas when she said the word 'mate', "we start a family together?"

"Yes."

"A back up plan," Maura reiterated as she was deep in thought.

"Exactly," Jane agreed.

Maura thought about this for a moment; she looked to Jane a few times between sipping of wine and gazing out into space.

"What about sex?"

Jane had to physically stop herself from spitting out her beer. She swallowed loudly before she turned to look at Maura. "Sex?"

"Yes, you know… Intimacy," Maura explained with exaggerated hand gestures that weren't really necessary. Jane place her hands over Maura's to prevent her from making any further gestures.

"I know what sex is Maura," Jane replied with a burst of a laugh. "Honestly, I hadn't thought THAT part through."

"I mean, would we be in a relationship? And who would carry the baby? Or would we both?" Maura rambled on. "And then there is our careers to think of, and our families… I mean, what is your mother going to think?" Maura was becoming worked up and Jane realised there was too many unknowns in her proposal for Maura to deal with.

"Woah, Maura, slow down," Jane placated as she scooted closer to Maura and rested a hand on her knee. "I was simply putting it out there as an option to consider. And if it is something worth discussing then… well, then we can nut out all the details together."

This seemed to bring comfort to Maura who had looked as though she was about to hyperventilate. "Yes, ok," she replied as she smiled at Jane.

"Let's sleep on it, yea?" Jane offered.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: A short little update to keep you going.

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While neither women actually slept on it, namely because they didn't really sleep, they both stayed up most of the night thinking about it and how it might work.

Jane tossed and turned in the guestroom of Maura's house for most of the night. She was thinking about the questions Maura raised; _would they be in a relationship?_ That wasn't really what Jane had actually envisioned. She had suggested starting a family together, but assumed that their intimate relationships with others would not be affected. Having spent the night thinking about it, however, she realised that having a family with Maura would put an extra strain on any future relationships that either of them had, and this was something they should talk about.

One specific focus Jane had spent most of the night mulling over was why Maura had asked about sex. Did Maura think they would be having sex _together_ , or was she asking about relationships with others?

Maura also had a fitful sleep, wondering not only about how Jane's proposal might work, but also the reaction she had to the proposal itself. She thought back on her past relationships, acknowledging that very few were even on track to becoming something long term. In fact, none of them were even approaching the level of commitment required to start a family. While this was something she had never worried about, determined as she was to have children only when she was ready, and on her own, if need be, Jane's proposal brought her a level of comfort and excitement she never would have expected.

By morning, as she stood in her kitchen preparing coffee and breakfast for two, Maura was convinced that her friendship with Jane was strong enough to endure anything. She had concluded that having a backup plan was a great idea, and that starting a family with Jane would not feel like settling. Exactly how they would move from friendship to intimacy was not yet certain, but the more Maura thought about it the more she realised how small an obstacle it would be. And if she were completely honest with herself, she had spent a solid few hours the night before thinking about what sex might be like with Jane – Just in case this proposal would become reality – and she surprisingly found herself becoming excited at the prospect.

"'Morning," Jane mumbled as she sat on the stool by the bench, watching Maura pour her coffee.

"Good morning. How did you sleep?" Maura asked as she passed Jane her coffee.

"Meh," Jane shrugged, sipping from her mug.

Maura turned her back to Jane as she put the finishing touches on their breakfast. She knew that getting anything coherent out of Jane before she's had any coffee was a long shot, but she desperately wanted to finish their conversation from last night before they had to go to work.

"I was thinking about…"

"I was up last night…"

They both began simultaneously. Maura turned to look at Jane and they smiled at each other.

"You go," Maura offered as she brought their plates to the bench and sat next to Jane.

"I was just going to say," Jane began with a smile, "that I was up most of the night thinking about our conversation last night."

"Me too," Maura claimed, "But you first. What were you thinking?"

Jane took another sip of her coffee before continuing. "I was thinking that we might have a few details to iron out, but I'm… I actually think that having a family with you makes sense."

"Really?" Maura questioned excitedly as she placed her fork down and turned to face Jane. "I mean, I think so too, but I thought perhaps sleeping on it might make you realise that some things… well, some things aren't for you."

"Maura," Jane started, turning to face Maura. "You're my best friend. Our friendship is stronger and better than any relationship I've ever had. I could have a kid on my own, and so could you, but I just think… we have each other so we don't need to do it on our own."

"So we could both have kids, and raise them together?" Maura asked.

"Yea," Jane replied with a coy smile.

"As a family?" Maura confirmed.

"Aren't we already family?" Jane asked rhetorically, before continuing. "And when we find someone special after we've started a family together, then it'll just be… I don't know. Like, the kids will have extra parents, or something. Like step parents."

Maura looked at Jane, confused. "Step parents?" Maura asked.

"Yea, well, I mean… families aren't all the same, and a lot of kids have more than two parents these days."

Maura was beginning to realise what Jane's proposal actually was.

"So," Maura began bringing her hands to her lips as she contemplated how to word her next statement without allowing Jane to realise just how much she had misunderstood her proposal. "In 12 months' time, if we aren't in a relationship and on our way towards having a family, then you and I will start a family. And we continue to date until we find a significant other, who will then become a step parent to both of our children. Correct?"

"Correct," Jane replied through a mouthful of food.

Maura went back to eating her breakfast as she mulled over the details of the real proposal Jane was making, now understanding that Jane didn't actually want a relationship with her.

"So what do you think?" Jane asked. "What were you thinking about last night?"

"I was thinking…" Maura began, trying to find a way to avoid the hives that would surely come if she avoided telling Jane the truth – which was sure to embarrass. "I was thinking how exciting it would be to raise a child with you."

"Wha… really?" Jane asked, happily surprised as she turned in her stool to face Maura properly.

Maura wasn't lying, but she wasn't telling the whole truth either. The excitement in Jane's face almost made it all ok, and Maura was admonishing herself over the fact that it took less than 24 hours to commit to Jane in ways that she had avoided so easily in her previous relationships. She was no fool – she knew that something had awoken within her that would likely be very difficult to put back to sleep. And while she was determined not to let it affect her relationship with Jane, she couldn't help the ache in her chest as she accepted that Jane did not, in fact, share her feelings.

Jane, on the other hand, was so caught up in her own giddiness that she failed to see the glimmer of hurt behind the hazel eyes before her.

"So… how do you want this to work, then?" Jane asked with a smile.

Maura contemplated this for a brief moment. She realised that perhaps this moment was not the best moment to make commitments to plans 12 months down the track.

"I think we have 365 days to figure it out, and that we don't need to make any detailed plans prematurely," Maura said objectively. "We don't know what the next 12 months will bring, but if the end of the said time frame starts approaching and neither of us are… in… in love, so to speak, well then we can start _nutting it out_ then."

Jane nodded at this and allowed her eyes to roam over Maura's face. "You're sure about this?"

Maura turned to face Jane, holding her left hand between her own. "I'm sure that you and I are family now, and that having children with you would be…"

Maura struggled to find an appropriate word as her voice faltered and betrayed the strength she was desperately trying to maintain.

"It would be?" Jane asked, watching in awe and with slight confusion the array of emotions that were evident on Maura's face.

"It would be… beautiful," Maura finished with a smile as unshed tears balanced precariously on her lower eyelid threatening to fall.

Jane stood from her chair and took Maura into her arms.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N:** Sorry for the delay in posting. Here's another update for you :-)

* * *

 **Day 18**

It took Maura 18 days to come up with some sort of viable explanation for what she experienced in the 24 hours after Jane's initial proposal. She did extensive research on the matter and discovered that she was not the only person out there to suddenly feel attraction so late in life towards someone of the same sex.

Of the research she did, there were many who believed that a sudden attraction to the same sex was simply a type of 'mid-life crises'. Other articles suggested that the attraction was something that had always been there, but was denied by the person. And Maura felt less comfortable with the articles which suggested that homosexuality in general was a sin, and that it differed from 'same sex attraction'.

Maura has always believed that sexuality is fluid – that there are degrees of 'gayness', if you will. That was not an issue for Maura, and it didn't cross her mind to be upset about it if she admitted to herself that she was into women. The only concerns Maura had was that she had never felt attracted to a woman before now, almost 40 years into her life, and that the woman she was attracted to was her straight, catholic, best friend.

It was an article written by the Guardian that eventually helped Maura develop a theory about her situation and start formulating a way to test her hypothesis. The article, which quoted many clinical psychologists who have done studies on women who have felt same sex attraction later in life, explained that a 'sexual shift' is quite common later in life, more so for women than men. The only other concern Maura had to deal with was Jane – was this something she would be okay with? Or, more precisely, is this something Jane also might be experiencing?

It was late in the afternoon over a dead body that Maura decided to test the waters.

"So, I was thinking we could go out on Friday instead of staying in," Maura proposed without taking her eyes of the body that was slumped between them.

Jane was kneeling on the other side of the body, her eyes spanning the room and the body. "Ah… yeah, sure. The Robber?"

Jane stood and looked down at her best friend as she maneuvered the body – waiting for her to reply.

"Actually, I was thinking maybe something different. There's a place called 'Machine'," Maura replied as she stood casually and flicked off her gloves. "Have you heard of it?"

Jane replied with just a look – glancing down at the body with a crease across her brow then back up at Maura as she shifted from one foot to the other, her mouth partially agape and unsure about how to respond. Maura took this as a silent question about the cause of death.

"Constriction of the trachea."

After a few beats, Jane responded "So… strangled."

"Yes, but I'll have to…"

"You'll have to confirm this with the autopsy. Yes I know," Jane interrupted with a pointed look at Maura. "Machine? Really?" Jane asked placing her hands on her hips and still showing signs of utter confusion.

Maura shrugged in response, tilting her head to the side as she took in the reaction from her best friend. "Sure. Why not?"

Jane took a moment to figure out if Maura was joking, or completely unaware. "You got something you want to tell me, Maura?" Jane asked with a smirk, attempting to tease a theory to the surface.

Maura avoided answering right away as she took a clip board and signed some paperwork. "I'll meet you back at the morgue," she signaled to the tech before turning her attention to Jane once again. "I'm not sure. Maybe," she finally replied, removing the smirk from Jane's face, causing her to do a double take of Maura.

"And you decide that _now_ is the best time to tell me?" Jane questioned, signaling to their surroundings and the dead body that was on the ground between them. "At a crime scene, over a dead body?"

Maura considered it for a moment, looking around at all the officers and lab techs walking around, and looked back at Jane. "Perhaps it was not the best time to discuss bring it up."

"Ya think?" Jane responded before smiling at her best friend. "I'll meet you in your office once we've wrapped up here?"

Maura nodded and watch as Jane walked away, taking command of the crime scene in her usual manner. As was becoming quite common for Maura over the past 11 days, Maura found this to be quite sexy – something that was a surprising revelation the first time she felt it but is now something she has become accustom to; remarkably, given the short amount of time she has had to adjust to these new feelings.

It was well after 8pm before Jane was able to make her way to Maura's office. Maura was sat at her desk, looking over what Jane assumed was very important paper work, given the look of concentration on her best friends face. She approached Maura's door quietly as she watched her, engrossed in what Jane imagined was a whole bunch of technical jargon that Jane would have trouble deciphering.

She stood in the doorway, leaning against the door jamb as she recalled the conversation she had with Maura earlier. Was Maura trying to come out to her? 'Machine' is well known as a gay bar… surely Maura knew that?

"Are you going to stand there and watch me, or are you going to come in?" Maura asked with a hint of humour in her voice.

"I haven't decided," Jane replied with a smirk before she pushed herself off the door jamb with a sigh and made her way to Maura's least uncomfortable chair.

"So," Jane began as she slouched in the chair.

"So," Maura replied, stacking her paperwork up and clicking off her pen. "Any update on the case?"

With a noise that resembled a cross between a moan and a sigh, Jane replied. "No leads yet, but we have been able to rule out a few initial suspects with your autopsy results."

Maura smiled, glad that her work was able to provide at least some valuable input so early on in the case. Jane sat up glancing at Maura, waiting for a response.

"Tomorrow is another day," was not the reply she was expecting.

"Tomorrow is Friday," Jane replied, "And you want to go out. To a night club. To a well-known _gay_ night club," Jane finished, with an obvious question in her tone that did not hold any hint of ridicule or judgement.

Maura simply smiled as she made her way around her desk to lean on the edge of it with her arms crossed. "I thought it might be an option worth exploring, yes."

"Ok," Jane murmured hesitantly. "And, not that I mind, like, at all! But… is this a new development in your personal life?" Jane asked in that husky voice that Maura recognised as her serious voice.

Maura paused as she considered the question. Although she knew the answer; that it was, in fact, a new development, she wanted to be careful about how she answered so as to avoid alerting Jane to exactly _how_ she discovered this new development.

"Yes. Very recent, in fact," Maura replied casually. "It just occurred to me that after almost 40 years, it is possible that I have been seeking meaningful relationships with the wrong gender. I suppose I just thought… why not test the waters!"

"Test the waters?" Jane replied. "Maura, being gay isn't something you can just 'test the waters' with. Either you are or you are not."

"Two days ago, I would have agreed with you. But I've done extensive research over the past…"

"Wait, you did research to see if you might be gay?" Jane asked incredulously. "What did you do, look at lesbian porn?" Jane finished jokingly.

When Maura didn't answer right away, Jane stood from the uncomfortable chair and took a step closer to Maura, before whispering, "oh my god, did you look at lesbian porn!?"

"No, I didn't look at lesbian porn, Jane," Maura scolded, watching the relief pass through Jane's body. "Although, I did use my imagination to see if I could be aroused by another woman, and it turns out that it's a distinct possibility that I could be."

Jane snapped her head up in shock. "You used your imagination," she began, before a small smile played on her lips. "Do I dare ask what this imaginary… Actually, you know what," Jane interrupted herself, "I don't want to know."

"Are you upset?" Maura asked, fearful of Jane's reaction.

'What? No, I'm not upset," Jane quickly replied, moving to sit next to Maura on the edge of her desk. "It's just a surprise that's all."

"Well, I haven't really tested the waters yet, so it might all be a false alarm," Maura explained.

Jane nodded in understanding. "So that's what tomorrow night is all about then?"

Maura turned to Jane with a smile. Jane sighed, "I guess I better be your wingman then," she replied with a sigh, before smirking and winking at Maura.

 _If only you knew,_ thought Maura.

* * *

For those who might be interested, here is a link to the article referred to in this chapter.

The guardian article:

lifeandstyle/2010/jul/22/late-blooming-lesbians-women-sexuality


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry for the delay, peeps. I promise to try harder to update more often :-)

* * *

Day 19

Jane and Maura left the nightclub a little after 11pm… only an hour after they arrived. Stepping out onto the sidewalk, Jane turned to Maura questioningly.

"So?" she enquired teasingly. "Was it everything you thought it would be?"

Maura turned to Jane and rolled her eyes. "Okay, I concede. You were right."

Jane linked her arm through Maura's and starting guiding her up the sidewalk towards the car.

"And what exactly was I right about?" Jane asked with a smirk.

Despite the heavy sigh, Maura couldn't help but smile at the teasing manner in which Jane was coaxing her into admitting she was wrong. She glanced around the side walk as she replied.

"Machine is not exactly my type of scene," she agreed, before turning to face Jane. "Which is not to say that I didn't enjoy myself."

Jane scoffed. "Exactly which part did you enjoy the most? The part where Ms. Tuxedo hit on you in line for the bathroom, or the part where you were undressed with the eyes of half the people in there?"

Maura turned to Jane with the dazzling smile she saved just for Jane. "It feels nice to be sought after," Maura replied. "Besides, I met a lovely woman at the bar who slipped me her number," she teased, producing from her pocket a paper coaster with a number on it.

Shock was evident in Jane's response as her step faltered slightly and she turned to Maura with her mouth open. "You took someone's digits?"

"Why not?" Maura replied with a shrug. "Wasn't that the whole point of this exercise?"

"I guess so," Jane replied, looking away. As they approached the car Jane opened the door to let Maura in the passenger seat. "So which woman? What did she look like?"

Jane slipped into the driver seat and Maura responded as she put on her seat belt. "Her name was Lexi. She had short dark hair and piercing brown eyes. She had on a pair of slimming black slacks with a cute little vest. Did you see her?" Maura asked as she turned to look at Jane.

"I think so," Jane answered distractedly as she pulled out into the traffic. "So, will you call her?"

Maura pondered the question as she looked out her window, watching the throng of people lined up along the side walk waiting to enter the many establishments lining the streets. She had enjoyed the subtle way in which Lexi had flirted with her. It was endearing. Lexi had simply asked for an opportunity to get to know her, which was surprisingly different from the way in which men had previously come on to her. No expectations, no over the top pick up lines…

"Maybe," Maura replied softly.

Jane sent a glance at Maura as they drove through the streets of Boston. She wasn't sure where this recent development in Maura's personal life had stemmed from. She was a detective, and yet she had not seen this coming at all. Maura had always been very open about her desires for men, which made this recent quest to potentially seek out a female companion confusing for Jane. Confusing, and yet… enlightening.

Day 28

"Ma! Can you stop fussing! It's just dinner," Jane huffed as she tried to placate her mother's eagerness to have everything _just right._

"It's not _just dinner,_ Jane. First impressions are important," Angela insisted as she rearranged the flowers in the middle of the table for the sixth time in an hour. "What if she doesn't like us?"

"Ma, don't worry, she's going to love you," Jane smiled, placing her hands on her mother's shoulders. "Now… breathe. It's ok. Everything is ready."

"Okay," Angela replied, taking a deep breath as Maura made her way into the kitchen.

"Is everything okay?" Maura asked worriedly.

"Ma is just freaking out. Believe it or not, she does this when we introduce her to any new potential life partners," Jane replied with a smile as she made her way to the fridge to grab a beer.

"I do not freak out!" Angela scoffed.

"Yes you do," Jane insisted as Maura watched the conversation unfold. "You spend the time prior to us dating someone setting us up with anyone you meet that has a pulse…"

"A pulse is important," Maura interrupted with a smile.

Jane paused, turning to look at Maura incredulously.

"What?" Maura asked with a smirk. "In my line of work, it's important to make that distinction."

Jane let out a breathy laugh, shaking her head, before continuing.

"And then you freak out and become paranoid when we find our _own_ dates, thinking that they aren't going to like us unless you interfere… setting up elaborate dinners with wine and flowers…"

"That was one time!" Angela interrupted.

Jane looked at her pointedly.

"Okay, two times," Angela conceded. "But I just like to set the mood for my babies," she continued as she pulled Maura and Jane into a hug. "I just want all my children to be happy," she said, looking between Jane and Maura.

"We know, Ma. As meddling as you are, it's hard not to love you. But you don't need to worry," Jane smiled.

"Aw, Janie," Angela sighed, pulling Jane back into a hug. "I just wish you would bring home someone nice for dinner."

"I know, Ma," Jane sighed, pulling back from the hug and holding Angela's shoulder. "Who knows? Maybe I'll be the next of your kids to bring home a nice girl," she said with a wink.

Maura looked at Jane, her head tilted to the side and clearly confused about Jane's statement. Meanwhile, Angela looked at Jane trying to gauge whether she was joking or not.

"Come on, I'm teasing," Jane responded with smile.

"Well, if you weren't," Angela replied, turning Jane's cheek to make her face her, "As long as you're happy, then I'll be happy," she finished with a smile.

Jane glanced at Maura standing off to the side before looking back at her mum. "Thanks Ma."

"But I still want grandbabies," Angela continued, causing Jane to laugh.

"Of course you do," Jane sighed with a smile. "But let's not forget… I'm not the one bringing home a new girlfriend for Sunday dinner."

Jane's reminder caused Angela to retreat back into her frenzied state of preparation. Maura offered to help, but was quickly shooed from her own kitchen with a glass of wine. Jane and Maura made their way to the couch to ensure they were not 'in the way' any longer.

"I think it's sweet," Maura smiled as she sat done next to Jane and half turned to face her.

Jane rolled her eyes and glanced back at her mum again who was speed walking around the kitchen, seemingly preparing things, but in reality was just running around aimlessly like a chicken with its head cut off.

"It's a little over the top," Jane urged, but quickly backed down with one look from Maura. "But yes, she means well," she smiled.

"It must be where you get it from," Maura teased before taking a sip of her wine to hide the smile she was sporting.

"My 'overthetopness'?" Jane scoffed.

"Your sweetness," Maura replied, holding Jane's soft gaze for as long as she could bear before turning her gaze to Angela in the kitchen once again. "This is just her way of making sure the people she loves are going to be okay. You do that all the time, in your own unique way," she finished before she turned to look at Jane again.

They both took a mouthful of their drinks, maintaining eye contact.

Maura couldn't stop her mind from racing. Jane's comment about potentially bringing home a woman to meet her mother completely threw her off guard. While she couldn't conclusively dispute Jane's insistence that she was actually joking, there was part of Maura that hoped that perhaps there was some truth to her words. She ran through other possible reasons for Jane to have made such a joke, and the only other viable option she could think of was that Jane was trying to gauge her mother's reaction to the possibility of Maura bringing home a woman. While she was eager to question Jane about the elusive comment, she realised she needed time to reflect on it further before doing so.

Jane, on the other hand, was still processing the fact that her mother was so accepting of the possibility of her bringing home a woman. The comment she made in jest had revealed yet another part of her mother that surprised her; surprised her, and warmed her at the same time. She pondered this while she sat across from Maura. Maura, who recently realised that she is attracted to women. It wasn't like Jane had never thought about it; she had been labelled a dyke many times, purely because of her profession, so it was obviously something she thought about a great deal. But it was never something that went beyond just that – a thought. She wasn't attracted to women. She was attracted to men. But recently, with Maura's recent revelation, she had resumed asking the questions of herself that she hadn't really thought about since she was a beat cop. Could she be attracted to a woman? Previously, this question came with an abundance of concerns about how her life might suffer if the answer was yes. But now… she was a stronger woman, and in a better place in her life. With her mother's acceptance and little care about what others really thought, she allowed herself the time to think it through without fearing the outcome.

A knock on the door brought both women from their thoughts.

"I'll get it," Maura insisted, jumping up off the couch and gliding to the door. She was greeted at the door by Frankie and his new love interest, Isobel.

Frankie introduced Isobel to his family. Eventually Angela calmed down enough to enjoy herself, and to all those in attendance, Isobel seemed to be a wonderful fit for Frankie. New love was in the air, and it seem to inspire those all around them.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: I haven't forgotten about this story. Sorry folks. Here is the long awaited next chapter.

* * *

Day 44:

"I don't understand how you can eat all that and not feel distended for the rest of the day," Maura said to Jane from across the table, motioning to the double patty burger and fries that sat in front of her.

"I will admit that it's likely I will feel like having a snooze at my desk when we get back," Jane explained through a smile and a mouthful of fries.

Maura looked over the table at her friend who was happily enjoying her lunch. She watched on with a smile as Jane shoved another two fries into her already seemingly full mouth.

"What?" Jane asked her friend who was now shaking her head in disbelief.

"Nothing," Maura replied before loading her fork full of kale salad. "And don't talk with your mouth full. It's impolite."

"Bossy boots," was Jane's response… with food still in her mouth. She dramatically swallowed her food, however, when she received a lifted brow and a sidewards glance from her lunch companion.

They continued to eat in companionable silence, Jane monitoring the room subtly as she often did, and Maura monitoring Jane subtly as she often did. The comfortable silence was broken when Maura started laughing into her salad. Jane looked on with a bemused expression.

"What's so funny?" she asked before taking a sip of her drink.

Maura placed her knife and fork along her plate, indicating that she had finished her meal, before picking up her napkin to wipe the non existent food from her face.

"It just occurred to me…" she began, placing her napkin down and focusing her attention solely on Jane. The expectant look Jane gave her caused her to pause. She looked over her friends face, once again struck by her beauty; beauty that was always there, but has only recently been a cause for her distraction.

"Well, come on," Jane encouraged, having swallowed the last of her food. "Share the joke."

"It occurred to me," Maura continued with a pointed look at Jane, "that I do tend to boss you around."

Jane's face softened as she took in the honey blonde sitting across from her. She could see that the humour that she initially found in this revelation was now replaced with inquisition.

"You know I don't really mind," Jane responded with a smile.

"Yes, I know…" Maura replied, a questioning seemingly on the tip of her tongue from what Jane could see in her expression. At Jane's raised eyebrows – a silent insistence to continue – Maura did just that. "What I don't completely understand is why you don't mind."

"Why I don't mind?" Jane reiterated humouredly, seemingly searching for an explanation. "Well, I don't mind because… I'm not above bettering myself, and I know that your… bossiness comes from the goodness of your heart," she finished with a sideways smirk towards Maura.

"Besides," Jane started, putting bills on the table and standing to put her jacket on, "I can be pretty bossy myself. Grab your stuff, let's go," she finished before walking toward the door and holding it open for Maura who was many steps behind. "Come on. Come on. We haven't got all day," she added with a wink and a smile.

"At least my bossiness comes from the goodness of my heart," Maura teased as she walked past Jane and out the door.

They fell into step as they set off on the short journey back to the station.

"So how is the whole 'dating women' thing going, anyway? I haven't had an update in a while," Jane asked placing her arm out in front of Maura as they came to cross a road. Maura inwardly smiled at the gesture.

"Not a whole lot has occurred in a while," Maura explained, as she looked both ways with Jane and crossed the street. "Although I have been speaking often with Lexi."

"Lexi?" Jane enquired when they made it back to the sidewalk. "From the night club?" she probed further as they continued up the path.

"One and the same."

"Wow," Jane sighed as they weaved there way through a barrage of other pedestrians. "That's over two weeks now, isn't it? Have you met up with her?"

"No, not yet."

Jane subtly watched Maura's expression as they walked; looking for more depth in the words she was speaking than what was on offer.

"Not yet? So you will?" Jane asked casually.

"We've just been getting to know each other," Maura replied with an uncharacteristic shrug. "She's actually a very nice person."

After a brief silence, Maura glanced over to find a small smile on Jane's face.

"What is that look for?" Maura replied with a smile of her own.

"What look?" Jane asked, her smile growing larger as they approached the steps of the BPD.

"That look!" Maura insisted, pointing to her face. "With your 'I know something you don't know' smile."

Jane opened the door and ushered Maura through ahead of her, whispering "you like her" as she passed. She fell back into step with Maura as they approached the elevators. "And you not so cleverly avoided answering my question."

Maura didn't have to look at Jane to know that the smug smile had not dissipated. Jane's perceptiveness was both irritating and comforting.

"Sometimes I hate that my best friend is the best detective in Boston," Maura sighed as her elevator arrived to go down. She stepped in and turned to watch Jane give her a wink as the elevator doors closed.

*Later that same day* ;-)

"Maaaurraaa…" Jane wined as she stomped her way into Maura's office like a petulant child, only to be stopped in her tracks as she watched her best friend giggling on the phone as she paced her office. She shot Maura a questioning gaze.

"I'm sorry to have to cut our conversation short, but I have to get back to work," Maura spoke into her phone as she turned her back to Jane. "Yes… Yes, I'm looking forward to it also." Maura glanced over her shoulder to find a smile gracing Jane's face, not unlike the one she saw when they came back from lunch.

"Speak to you soon," she finished before hanging up the phone and turning back to face Jane. "Yes Jane? You were wining?" she asked with a smile of her own.

"Was that Lexi?" Jane asked with a grin, before she realised what Maura had said. "Wait, I wasn't wining!"

"Yes you were. 'Maaaurraaa'," she mocked before she started laughing.

"Fine. What ever," Jane conceded with a flick of her wrist. "Now tell me what you're looking forward to doing with Lexi," she continued mischievously.

Maura stopped mid stride on her way to the sofa and turned to look at Jane questioningly.

"Okay, don't tell me _everything_ you're looking forward to doing with Lexi…" Jane clarified as they sat in the sofa together. "Although… have you… thought about doing _that_ with Lexi?"

"We are going to have dinner next week," Maura explained, unable to rid the smile from her face. "And… yes, I suppose I have thought about it," she continued looking into her lap; her hands straightening out invisible wrinkles in her skirt as she was unable to keep eye contact with Jane.

Jane saw the uncertainty in Maura's eyes, and what appeared to be a fear of rejection. She understood that many people fought to accept their feelings when they didn't fit into the 'straight world'. She didn't want Maura to think that she thought any less of her as a result of her new found feelings for Lexi; and seemingly for women in general.

"Hey, you know it doesn't bother me, right?" Jane assured Maura as she gently rubbed her forearm comfortingly.

Maura looked up into big brown eyes and saw sincerity. Although she hadn't doubted for a second that Jane would be okay with the recent developments in her love life, the real misery she was feeling was because Jane had no issue with her pursuing a woman that wasn't Jane.

Although she liked Lexi, it was becoming increasingly obvious for Maura that her feelings for Jane were only intensifying. Speaking with Lexi was lovely, and it certainly boosted her confidence, but every time she sees Lexi's name on her caller ID she is hit with an overwhelming feeling of guilt. She didn't want to lead her on, but at the same time she wanted to spend time with her; she wanted to get passed these feelings she had for her best friend who didn't appear to have any romantic inclination towards her. She wanted to give herself a chance to find that with someone else; someone who could return her feelings.

"I know, Jane," Maura replied with a sad smile. "It honestly never crossed my mind that my attraction to women might be an issue for you."

"Good," Jane replied with her hand still covering Maura's forearm. "So… why the long face?" she asked with a sad smile of her own.

Maura shrugged slightly, searching her mind for a suitable answer. "It's a big change," she offered, hoping her less than entirely honest answer would suffice.

"Oh Maur," Jane sighed as she pulled her into her arms.

Maura let herself be comforted by her best friend. She let her head rest on Jane's shoulder, taking comfort in the familiar scent that lingered at the crook of her neck. She wrapped her arms around her friends' shoulders and clung on tightly as she felt tears well up in her eyes. Tears that accompanied the torn emotions that swam around inside her, causing hear heart to both flutter and sink simultaneously.

Jane felt the tension start to dissipate from Maura as she held her close. She intuited the sadness that Maura felt, wishing she could take it away, but also understanding that this was Maura's journey towards acceptance. Her heart ached to turn Maura's grief into happiness. She wrapped her arms tighter around Maura's waist, her hand instinctively searching for the skin at the small of her back, gently stroking her thumb back and forth. She turned her head, just slightly, to offer Maura what she hoped were words of comfort.

"Maur, you deserve to be with someone who makes you infinitely happy," she whispered into Maura's ear, causing the breath to catch in Maura's throat.

Maura pulled back from the embrace to look into Jane's eyes; Jane, who was now smiling sadly back at her.

"And if that person is a woman… If that person happens to be Lexi," Jane continued with a shrug, "then so what?"

Maura smiled through the tears that had run down her cheeks at Jane's words. She felt herself again being pulled into Jane's arms, and warm lips pressed against her temple as she closed her eyes.

"Thank you Jane," Maura sighed dejectedly.


End file.
